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My grandson soloed a few weeks ago in our Citabria making him a fourth generation pilot. I told him he had to learn in the Citabria, but he will have access to the Mooney for his instrument rating when the time comes. He got his drivers license two days after turning 16 and soled the next week. He also has discovered girls. He will find all three pursuits expensive! lee

That's a little like saying that I'm torn between a Miata and a woodgrain station wagon. M20C and C210 are two vastly different airplanes. Any 210 is going to be expensive to maintain properly, especially the older ones. If I was looking for a 210 and speed, it would be a '77 or newer turbo 210 with an intercooler. Expect maintenance and insurance to be roughly twice as much as an M20C. There are two kinds of 210s without the gear mod - those that have landed gear-up and those that will. The ones made without the gear doors or the ones that have been modified are the ones you should look at. (Watching the gear come down on a 210 is a little like watching a giraffe get up from a nap - a little awkward and uncoordinated.) Do all of the research first and decide what airplane fits your mission the best - then look for the best one you can afford.

If you pick a top paint shop, none of your concerns are necessary. The best shops do superb prep including straightening, filling, cleaning, ect. Pay a bit more for all new stainless steel screws which go on after the paint and prevent the paint seam from being broken when a screw has to be removed. The quality of paint, at a top shop, will easily last in all but the harshest environments. I had my plane painted three years ago and the shop did a superb job.

I would probably huck a rock at it. If I hit it and the owner came over and gave me grief about it, I would say “let’s call the cops and see who’s side they are on”?

Looks like the sponges my wife buys for the kitchen sink.

Such a beautiful day yesterday in South Florida. I had to take the plane for a sunset XC.

BTW, in the do as I say not as I do department, I've been as bad as anyone in my personal use after takeoff and through descent. Several years ago I attended an aging pilot seminar given by a retired physician who flies a high performance 6-seat retract. He really drove home the point to me and I began a campaign to do better. The primary method was a written post flight self-debrief in which I graded my checklist performance after every flight (not a bad idea generally). Took a while but now not using one feels weird.

@Echo Adding modern avionics (Garmin) to my plane has doubled my enjoyment of it being used as a traveler. All that and to add, I don’t even fly to mins. Cross xxx at 5,000 - whiz bang, done. transition from gps to localizer, bang whiz. enter this unpublished hold - whiz bang, done. get into busy airspace with machine gun instructions - whiz bang, done. final approach course guidance for any runway- whiz bang. I could go on, but the point is, you don’t need to be flying long hard IMC to mins to make it, just better. You ever been to a casino? Whiz bang is just fun.

The G3X, G5 and GFC 500 were designed to work in concert and they share resources seamlessly. Fail the G3X ADAHRS and it uses the G5 ADAHRS. Fail the entire G3X and the G5 will drive the GFC 500. When the GI 275 was introduced, Garmin allowed it to be used as a G3X standby, but it was dumbed down to the equivalent of a stand alone ADI. It didn't integrate with the G3X or share resources like the magnetometer, it couldn't connect to a GPS, and it wouldn't drive the GFC 500. Garmin has fixed most of that. But in reading the AFMS for the latest G3X software 9.15, I notice that a GI 275 still cannot drive the GFC 500 in a G3X installation. Maybe Garmin will eventually fix that. But right now, I would not install a GI 275 with a G3X because there is not backup for the autopilot. Skip

@TrekLawler Ok, it has been bugging me for a while that when I would go to the Trip Planning page, it would show me an ETA that was before the actual time. So coming back from Mooney Max, I played with it and figured it out. If you do a Trip Plan from Present Postion to your destination, it gives an accurate ETE, but the ETA is calculated from the Take Off (power on) time, NOT the present time. If I am Trip Planning from Present Position, it seems it should use Present Time. In the picture below, the Take Off time was 10:53. The Present Time was 12:38. ETE shows 3+49, but ETA shows 14:42, or 2 + 06 from present time. But the correct ETA if I was taking off at 10:53.

Great news to you M20J owners that are interested in or maintaining a RAJAY turbocharged aircraft. The FAA is in the process of reissuing STC SA3555WE back to RAJAY Turbo Products. This means we'll be able to reproduce PMA parts and entertain new kit production if there is enough demand. Send an email to sales@rajay.aero or signup for the newsletter at www.rajay.aero if you are interested in a kit.

A friend with a turboprop has all Collins equipment. It broke and had to be replaced. I will take my chances with Garmin rather than hold my breath waiting for something else.

Make your own out of a good, heavy-duty cotton canvas. Spray it with a fire-retardant spray, glue it in place. Make sure your cabin is labeled “No Smoking” and you’ve met the requirements of CAR3 and owner produced part.

Get some of these: https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-11432/Cut-Resistant-Gloves/Kevlar-Cut-Resistant-Sleeve-with-Thumbhole-18?pricode=WB0429&gadtype=pla&id=S-11432&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvsWSoPSCggMVhTitBh3WMwQVEAQYASABEgLDofD_BwE And some kevlar thread. Sew a zig zag seam down the side to narrow it to rod diameter. Sew some buttonhole stiches along the bottom and slit to make the ears to tape on.

@1980Mooney So, that covers everything except the F model, which I am, coincidentally, most interested in

That is why I pinged Trek.

Well, It cant put it off any longer, the Tanks need resealed and the paint as well. My plan is to take my bird (68 F) to Weep No More and then to a paint shop....hoping to find a paint shop somewhere in the midwest to make it a really expensive round trip! Any paint shop recommendations greatly appreciated! Thanks very much! Jim

Bondo is actually not uncommon even on new aircraft from the factory. A perfect 50 yr old airplane doesn’t exist and the very few that come close are exceptionally rare and most often priced above what most want to pay. Face it, those of us that shop 50 yr old aircraft are doing so because newer ones are out of our budget, or we would be buying newer. Most often as an aircraft depreciates due to age it begins to lead a tougher life, more likely to be tied down outside and or repairs and maintenance are more likely to barely meet standards as opposed to “I don’t care what it costs, I want it done right”. Most 50+ yr old aircraft have a history of accidents whether the book reflects that or not. 99% of owners will fight a mechanic that wants to include why the repairs are being made and we now even have experts telling owners to never allow any kind of negative logbook entry, to only allow those entries to be made on stickies that can be conveniently lost or tossed after the min time to keep them has past. So logbooks have to a great extent become worthless where they used to be a biography of the aircraft.

Yes, by all means do your due diligence, but VFR pilots (like me) recognize the value of a well maintained and modded vintage Mooney. Some will perhaps value a whiz bang panel with GTN650 over a low time engine that has been flown and an airframe with speed mods like 201 speed slope windshield and 201 cowl. If you have a plane with both you will pay an amount of money to buy in and purchase some guys dream plane vs. doing upgrades that YOU want. Finding the "perfect" plane is extremely difficult and finding "it" for a deal is super rare. My VFR plane is getting flown and maintained. VFR cross-country is a thing, FYI.

Sorry I'm a late on this post, but I like Spinks as well. One time a few years ago while they were in transition they didn't have any tie down ropes or chains. I went to Walmart and bought some rope. Since then I've always carried something, but haven't needed it.

IF, and a big IF, the drone meets the requlations about Drone ID and Remote Pilot license.

Just one data point but I've been extremely happy with the level of service and response time of Savvy; granted I only have the analysis/QA not full management services.

If you got the money, buy the 210!

30 for "good". Not fantastic or perfect, but pretty good. $20k for "okay" or "flipper" quality.

Once Remote ID becomes a requirement, you can use an app such as Drone Scanner to get the real-time drone altitude, location, pilot identification, pilot location, and location history for any drone that you see. The FAA will also get that info, so hopefully drone operators will be held accountable for bad behavior.

Yeah, they get that feeling of anonymity like having an Internet presence to hide behind. People will say and do things they would at least think twice about standing in front of you. Hey, you're not an AI bot are you?

I suppose I could part with the $17, but I don't have a loose gauge that I could hold up side-by-side with the new one to be certain they are the same size. And, I'm not as motivated to splurge on a $17 item as I might be if I had a hole in my wing where one of my gauges used to be.

I would wait until you get the new cylinder on and run it. If you try more than one thing at a time it's harder to troubleshoot.

It wouldn't hurt to double check where it is coming from. I had a similar issue and it was actually the oil quick drain. There is some reverse airflow and the leak could be lower down and oil getting pushed up and out the front by the airflow. Clean the engine well and add some fluorescent dye to the oil. Fly it around the pattern once, anymore flying than that and oil will be everywhere and hard to pinpoint the leak. After landing put a blacklight on it and the leak should be obvious. This was the leak from my quick drain after a trip around the pattern.

90 Days https://www.airpowerinc.com/core-return-policy

In addition to the difference in fasteners, narrow decks have hold down plates around the cylinders. Internally the engines are pretty much identical, but the cases and cylinders are different. The reason for the change is Lycoming wanted to standardize cylinder production, and going to the wide deck design allowed them to do that. Here is a picture of the plates. https://www.texasairsalvage.com/main_view.php?editid1=223622

I notice everyone is jumping on the OP for the sin of perhaps prematurely replacing their engine. I get that, but it's possible you're all missing the point. How many of you have looked at lead times lately for actually getting an engine overhauled or receiving a factory reman? I have, though I don't claim to have turned every stone. In general, parts and lead times for engine overhaul work are very long. This idea of waiting until your engine "talks to you" through oil consumption, borescope inspections, oil analysis, metal in the filter, etc. is all well and good; but if it speaks to you any time soon, you're likely not going to get the 1-2 month turnaround time that has historically been available. These days, an airplane can easily be down for 6 months or a year with that strategy. A local club I'm affiliated with just got a quote from Air Power for a factory reman O-320-D2G in a 172. Estimated delivery date is October 2024! I expect any individual customer could do better than 1 year by calling around, beating the bushes, etc. But at least in my community of aviation friends, concerns about deciding when to overhaul the engine are trending further away from waiting until it's "actually necessary", and further toward swallowing the bitter pill of higher cost and arguably premature overhaul in exchange for predictable schedules and using preferred suppliers. Some of these folks' airplanes are just toys, but they're toys they want to have available and enjoy. In other cases, the airplane is owned by a business or club, whose entire usage model is based on dispatch availability. For those folks, a 6-month down time could effectively end the club/business. So in summary, I wouldn't pull a well-running motor off an airplane just because I was afraid of some number on a calendar or tachometer. But I might very well do so to reduce the chance of the airplane being grounded indefinitely, waiting months or years on engine parts and services. That's a real thing right now.

@kortopates might be interested in this topic

In my information consumption of the Richard Mcspadden fatal accident, I came across this excerpt. I heard it, in his own words, in the last two minutes of the most recent AOPA Hangar Talk Podcast, dedicated to his memory. It was striking enough that I felt it useful to transcribe his words into text here. Please excuse the grammatical exceptions, used to enunciate his words. Well said indeed. "Gratitude, consumes me when I fly my Super Cub. This bright yellow magic carpet that takes me to wondrous places- physically and mentally. Morning flights are especially magical. The air is smooth. The Super Cub rigged so well, that it's akin to having an autopilot. I can take my hand off the stick to sip some home roasted coffee. Or adjust the satellite music flowing through my headset. I feel some warmth from the paltry cabin heat which knocks the chill off my legs in sporadic waves. I'm viewing an imax movie out my front windscreen but I'm not just watching the action- I'm in it. Immersed in this spectacular panorama. The smells and sounds are real, and I'm so grateful to capture it. well aware that it's transient; both in a moment, and in a lifetime. Flying has brought so much to my life. In many ways, has been my life. The feeling of gratitude to the many people who boosted me here comes back frequently. In ways, it seems unfair that I was exposed to aviation and given opportunities few have. And I feel a growing urge to give back. Cast a wider net. And expose more people to this splendid experience that can change the trajectory of a life. Flying inspires, and fosters connection- in a community. And we could use more of that now." -Col. Richard "Spad" McSpadden

You can do a GFC500 with avidyne units .. no reason to go to GTN units just to get the GFC500

According to the FAA's notice of a proposed AD for the now-fixed GFC 500 pitch trim runaway, Garmin has sold 5900 certified GFC 500s. I wonder how many Aerocruze 230s have been installed?

If I had to guess, I'd say you're probably 20 years younger than me. I learned to fly in the mid-80s with an ADF/VOR/ILS. GPS still seems like a luxury to me. I have a friend that still has an ADF and Loran in his airplane; he's a geeky EE and just likes it and doesn't want to remove it. I don't fly as much as some, but since the mid-80s, I've never experienced a vacuum failure (but yes I know it happens and I've had one TC and one DG failure not vac related). I am not at all convinced the latest technology is the greatest (especially where software is involved). The digital AIs have all had major issues after fielding. Are the bugs out? Do you know for sure? Sandia took theirs off the market. Uavionix had issues initially and so did Garmin. Just a few weeks ago, someone report issues during startup with an AV30. Flying with minimal dependency on software and data base updates is a great thing to me. Don't get me wrong, WAAS is great and I may install a digital AI at some point but in the 35 years I've been flying, I've never been to an airport in IFR conditions that didn't have a VOR, LOC, or ILS approach as a backup to GPS. Call me ole fashioned.

Yes plenty of us do. Nothing wrong with being a VFR pilot only either. Personally I use my airplane to visit friends and family that have moved away or just for vacations. There is a point where your return on value starts dropping which is why I stopped at dual G5, GFC500, and an IFD. I could’ve spent more but it didn’t make sense.

It might be an airline pilot thing. Most of my buddies, load up their private birds to take on all the stuff we simply fly over in the big jets. If they ever have to couple up an approach to mins in the personal bird, it's a planning failure for them, but then just executed. I decided to not pay for a 2nd engine that comes with a T310R/340A/58TC/58P and I'm finding a few less barrels to burn money in vs the twins. As it stands, I should be able to kit out my M20M for around $250k, which is the plane, and everything but fresh paint, and over 1000 hours left to TBO. I guess the short answer to your question is, we'd rather not, but also rather not divert unless absolutely necessary. In my case I'll be commuting to work in mine, so the more things I can do to give myself the best chance with what I've got, the better. And then there is that old saying that the battle plan rarely survives first contact.... :-)

No one would ever install a new one of these in 2023 - 20 years ago maybe. The Garmin GFC500 and a couple GI-275s would make a lot more sense for the same money. I used to refer to the STec that I had in a Piper Mirage as the STurn autopilot. It was OK but not even close to a King or Garmin autopilot since it’s rate based. When STEC owned it they had better support. Then Meggitt bought them and now it’s Genesys. A simple STec 30 might be OK but I would never spend what they ask for a STec 55x these days with any other option out there.

I guess it's what you're used to. When using a GTN, you can load another approach to any airport in the Country when you're on a missed approach to an airport. It's simple to ping pong off of approaches, as for example, doing multiple approaches to KSNS, KWVI, KOAR, KMRY, all airports within a few miles of each other. The most time consuming part of that is picking up the weather at each airport. I did that a couple of weeks ago. The weather was near minimums at all the airports, so it was good practice. In fact I had wanted to land at Marina, KOAR, for cheap fuel , but that airport was below minimums, so couldn't get in there. My initial response was a way to have your cake and eat it too, but then, to use a trite expression, "you can lead horse to water but you can't make it drink". I can only communicate what 10 years of experience has taught me.

I can’t stand the GTN UI and much prefer Avidyne IFD. I really think people get all wrapped around the axle with Mac vs Windows, Intel vs AMD, or Garmin vs Avidyne. They do the exact same thing but with different methodologies and some different strengths and weaknesses, none of them are perfect. And generally whichever one you start with is the team you decide to pick to “support”. If you don’t learn both products correctly then forming an accurate opinion is impossible. Every time I show someone how to properly use an IFD they understand what I mean when I say it’s easier to use than a GTN. Is it different? 100%. I also much prefer having physical buttons. And the last time I checked the GTNs can’t load multiple approaches, meaning I can have my alternate programmed before I even take off or have my practice approaches fully planned before taking off. Why is that important? Because now I have very accurate live fuel numbers that include the approach when tied to an engine monitor to make sure I have what I need to stay within my requirements. I would not be replacing a perfectly functional IFD, makes absolutely no sense for how expensive avionics are. You can have a GFC 500 with an Avidyne navigator. You won’t get VNAV support but that’s because Garmin is such a closed ecosystem they won’t release the protocol. I have two G5s, GFC 500, and a IFD440 in my J. I can also upgrade to a g3x if I ever so desire.

I feel the same about avidyne. Then you get locked into off-brand autopilots and aspens. Abs this stuff isn’t really much cheaper. But it’s not as good.

None. Just a former electrical engineer and flight instructor who recognizes and uses and teaches their products after extensive avionics research.

@donkaye Own much Garmin stock?

Why not make your life really easy. Sell the Avidyne units. Sell the KFC 150. Use the proceeds to upgrade to the G3X Touch or G500 TXi, GTN 750, and GFC 500. They all interface beautifully and give you all the benefits of the GFC 500 including VNAV and Smart Glide. Add a few more dollars and get the GMA 35c Audio panel that interfaces seamlessly with the GTN 750 and have Telligence. You may say, "But I like the Avidyne better than the GTN". While I admit to not having a whole lot of experience with the Avidyne, a few things I find troublesome with it are: At least for me, the user interface is clunky, too much information on the screen, too small Map Page when all that information is presented, flight plan page harder to use than for the GTN, inability to shut off the audio alerts when near terrain, and more that I can't think of off hand. You just can't go wrong with Garmin in my opinion. I've had that setup and more Garmin stuff for over going on 10 years in my M20M and wouldn't change a thing, even after that amount of time.

Eat some donuts and pizza. Your cg will fix itself.

If and only IF you have calibrated fuel flow, you don’t need the differential gauge for setting up the metered fuel pressure. it’s better to use fuel flow directly to get the target FF at full power when you can. Then it’s less likely you’ll have to tweak it further . Then just use a single inlet pressure gauge to set the unmetered low Idle rpm pressure. SID97-3 is obsolete, the reference/spec material is now in M-O Chapt 6 since 2017. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk